Reviews

Thursday, 26 September 2013

Megan is a sports and Outward Bound teacher living
in Abergynolwyn, a small town in Wales, who is still coming to terms with the
death of her soldier husband, Rhys, in Basra. She has somewhat lost her way in
life until she is invited to play at the annual tennis tournament held by the
owners of the mansion in Aberdovey on Cardigan Bay. Here she partners new
arrival David Rensburg to win the doubles tournament – thus starting a new
chapter of her life. David works in the City and owns a cottage in Aberdovey.
They have a passionate affair and Megan begins to move forward at long last.

However, the path of true love never did run smooth,
as the saying goes, and back in London David becomes embroiled in the unethical
financial dealings of Martin van Dijl on behalf of his brokerage firm,
culminating in being imprisoned for a high-profile murder. Megan, by now loved
by David`s two sons Matthew and Josh, has to do her utmost to prove that David
is innocent, no mean task for a small-town lady in the imposing and raw city of
London. Will she succeed, and will David ever be able to fulfil his ambition to
explain the intricacies of high finance to the public by means of a
simply-written book? Read on……!

Tony Drury himself was a
financier in the City with a love of Wales and this is his first work of
fiction. His written style is easy to read and he builds the tension very well
– I couldn`t wait to turn the page to find out what happened next! I would thoroughly
recommend this book and look forward to Tony`s next offering.

Monday, 23 September 2013

I read Where'd You Go, Bernadette as
part of my reading group and it is, without doubt, one of the
funniest books that I have read. I absolutely loved it.

At first glance, Bernadette Fox is wife
to senior Microsoft employee Elgie Branch and loving mother to Bea.
However, to the other mothers at Bea's school, Bernadette is
glamorous but unfriendly and even slightly crazy. When one of the
mother decides to google Bernadette, the only thing that she can find
online is an entry about a trailblazing architect who hasn't been
seen for over twenty years. Surely that is not the same Bernadette,
is it?

Everything seemed as normal as could be
in Bea's household until she asks to go to Antartica after getting
straight As at school. Much to everyone's surprise (even her own),
Bernadette throws herself into preparing for this trip. However, all
is not as it seems and when the illusive Bernadette goes missing, her
daughter Bea tries every to track her down. Told through a series of
emails, letters and messages, finding Bernadette also becomes a story
about finding who she is and what she is really afraid of. I loved
Bernadette's character with her outlandish theories and names for
people. I also found the character of Majula, the online assistant,
to be a brilliant if somewhat frightening addition.

I sat down to start reading this book
on a Saturday morning and literally did not move until I finished it.
It is a real feel good book with lots of laugh out loud moments with
my particular favourite being a hilariously timed landslide. I could
imagine this being made into a film.

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Cruel Crossing is a fascinating book
full of the horror and tragedy that occurred during World War Two. In
France, the pyrenees were used as a daring and extremely dangerous
escape route into France. As Stourton takes part in the Chemain de la
liberte, a walk commemorating the route used by so many to escape the
Nazi, he pieces together the stories from people who were actually
involved.

The horrors that befell both ordinary
people and the armed forces are all too apparent in this book, but
what really stands out is the unwavering selflessness and bravery
shown by those who helped the escapees. Cruel Crossing is thorough
and brilliantly researched and has made me want to visit this area of
France that I knew little about.

It is a heart-wrenching, but utterly
compelling collection of accounts of people involved in the daring
escapes across the Pyrenees during the Second World War.

I highly recommend this book and would
rate it as a 5 star read.

I read this as part of the Transworld
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

Monday, 16 September 2013

Well, what can I say? A detective novel with no plot, no suspects
but plenty of crimes. There is no story – it is about two detectives: Hawthorn, the introspective one and Child,
the extrovert. Beyond that, this novel delightfully disconcerts the reader, who
is naturally looking for a developing story with a beginning, a middle and a
(hopefully ) satisfying conclusion. This does not happen. Instead one is
presented with a series of intense insights into what any one of the characters
may be thinking about any subjectat any
one time, with the added confusion of who `s thoughts they are and what
time-scale they are in. It reminds me of Samuel Beckett`s “Waiting for Godot”
and would, indeed, make a superb theatrical production.

It is very thought-provoking book, keeping the
reader avid to know more and gratifying nothing. I was beguiled by the style
and the perceptions express by the author. It is a book that needs to be read
at least twice, as there is a new twist each time you read it. I will look
forward to reading it again and experience the pathos and the humour. Highly
recommended.

Sunday, 8 September 2013

As soon as I saw the beautiful cover on
Midsummer Magic, I knew that it was a book I wanted to read.

Recently engaged Josie has jumped into
wedding planning and left her fiance Harry feeling a little left out.
When she invites Harry, her bridesmaid Diane and Harry's best man Ant to
Cornwall for the weekend she imagines a relaxing couple of days
talking about the wedding. However, what she doesn't realise is that
Diane and Ant already know each other and are not the best of
friends. To make matters worse, when Harry and Ant meet famous
magician Freddie Puck in the local pub they drunkenly agree to take
part in a hypnosis stunt on Mid summer's Eve for his new show. As
Midsummer Night comes round, the four realise that the tv show could
be a mistake and before they know it long buried secrets and feelings
start coming to the surface.

The use of local mythology is a strong
part of the storyline and the beautiful setting in Cornwall really
emphasises this. There is something about the caves and rugged
coastline that makes myths seem like possibilities.

This is a fun, magical story that I
really enjoyed reading. I thought that the references to
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream were a very clever addition
and I am looking forward to reading Williams' next book.

Friday, 6 September 2013

On September 10th Rowan
is publishing her novella Woman Walks into a
Bar as
an ebook for the first time. And 100% of her proceeds will be
donated to Refuge.

Her goal is to raise
£10,000 and you can help. All you have to do is buy a book, or two, and get
your friends to buy one too. You’ll get a funny, romantic and touching summer
read and you’ll be helping women you’ve never even met at the
same time and all for the price of £1.59!

The story behind
the story

Every book Rowan have
ever written has meant a lot to her, but with her latest book ‘Dearest
Rose,’
something really special happened when the real world and the fiction she loves
to write collided. It changed her as a person and a writer, forever.

She was getting ready
to research her tenth novel, which with the help of her Facebook readers she
decided should pivot around the theme of domestic abuse. It was a subject she’d
touched on briefly once before, when she wrote a short novella as one of the
first Quick Reads called Woman Walks into a Bar, which to this day
remains one of the pieces of work of which she is most proud.

So she posted
on her Facebook page asking if anyone had any personal experiences of domestic
abuse, and any stories they might share with her in confidence.

She was shocked and
amazed by the response; there were more than 200 emails waiting in her inbox
the next day. Each story she read was horrific and frightening in its own way,
giving her an insight into the secret lives of many women; lives that all too
often remain hidden. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone - well educated
wealthy women are just as likely to suffer as women from a working class
background - but the one thing all those women had in common was that they were
survivors. After years of being mentally and physically beaten down, they had managed
to find the emotional strength, somehow, to break free and start again.

Now Rowan wants to do
something that will help other women find that inner courage, and change their
lives.£1.59 Amazon Kindle

So, come on and join
Rowan, and help to #supportafriend on September 10th. Every time you
buy or pre-order ‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ you’ll be entered into a prize draw
for fabulous prizes every week, while the #supportafriend #womanwalks campaign
is running. On 10th September, tweet Rowan photos of you and your friends, tell
her your ideas to support a friend, and why your friends mean so much to you.

You can be a best
friend to someone you have never even met. You can help someone out there find
the support they need to change their lives.

If you are a blogger
or tweeter, spread the word using #supportafriend #womawalks. If you are a company
who could offer a prize to drive book sales and thereby money for Refuge,
please get in touch. If you are a woman in an abusive relationship, or if you
have a friend about whom you are worried, please get in touch with Refuge and ask for
help today.

About Rowan

Rowan Coleman grew up in
Hertfordshire secretly longing to be a writer despite battling with
dyslexia. After graduating from university she worked in bookselling and
publishing for seven years before winning Company Magazine Young Writer of the
Year in 2001. Her first novel‘Growing Up Twice’was
published in 2002.

Rowan
has gone on to write eight novels for women including the bestseller ‘The Accidental Mother, The Baby Group’and‘The
Accidental Wife‘
and eight novels for children and teens including the paranormal adventure
novels Nearly Departed and Immortal Remains under the name Rook Hasting. Her
books are published around the world. She now lives in Hertfordshire with her family.

Thursday, 5 September 2013

Her rock star is waiting in
the wings, but will he get a second chance?

It’s all change for Sophie Jones—only this
time, there is more at stake than just her happiness.

Rock star extraordinaire, Dan Hunter, has
been her patient and caring friend through the highs and lows since her wedding
day, but now he figures it is time for her to start over. By stealth, the rock
singer draws Sophie into the behind-the-scenes work for his band’s latest
album. Through the days and weeks spent together at the mixing desk, Sophie
discovers whole new horizons for her life, yet before she can even begin to
explore them, she faces the very real threat of losing her rock star for good.

Join Sophie and Dan in Sophie’s Encore to find out how their journey will end…

I have been eagerly awaiting the final instalment in the
Rock Star Romance trilogy and I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint.

Sophie has had a difficult couple of years and Dan had stood
by her through thick and thin. When Dan offers Sophie the chance to work behind
the scenes she jumps at the opportunity and loves the idea of working as a
sound engineer. Things between Sophie and Dan seem to be amicable and Daneven helps look after Sophie’s two children
who are his godchildren. However, when Dan becomes ill the tables are turned
and it is Sophie who has to look out for Dan.

This is a fast paced book that I found addictive to read. I found the parts about the music industry to be fascinating and I loved the hearing about Dan's tour - it all sounded so glamorous.

I’m so pleased with the way that the book ended and will miss reading about Dan and Sophie now that the trilogy has ended.

Born in
Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in
Lincoln. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and
project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in
London and Washington, D.C. Like her leading lady, Sophie, Nicky loves
listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing,
she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor to The
Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!

Sunday, 1 September 2013

I really enjoyed reading Henriette
Gyland's debut novel Up Close and have been looking forward to
reading The Elephant Girl.

Five year old Helen Stephens witnesses
the shocking murder of her mother in London. Twenty years later after
a terrible childhood, she is summoned by her step-grandmother who
abandoned her. When she arrives back in London, she finds out that
the woman convicted of her mother's murder has just been released
from prison. Determined to avenge her mother, Helen goes looking for
the convicted killer Fay Cooper in London. However, finding her
unleashes emotions and memories that Helen thought were long buried.
After twenty years could there still be new information to uncover?

Helen is a strong, likeable heroine who
comes across as a very determined person. I thought that all of the
characters were well formed and had a strong presence on the page.

This is a gripping and fast paced read
and I enjoyed every minute of it. There are lots of surprises in
store for the reader as Helen tries to narrow down the events
surrounding the murder. The mysterious circumstances intertwine with
a strong romantic element. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

About Me

Book reviews by Sarah and Liz.
We review fiction and some non fiction. Genres of interest include historical, romance, crime and thrillers. If you would like us to review a book please contact us on: todayimreading@hotmail.co.uk